Dirty Dancing
by foreverlovingdaryldixon
Summary: The title says it all really. Caryl re-imagined into one of my favorite movies, Dirty Dancing. I've altered the story line a bit to fit better with The Walking Dead characters but it's still a working progress. Reviews are always loved.
1. I carried a watermelon

Carol walked around the grounds relieved to get away from people, or in particular, those people. The summer nights breeze was just enough not to make her feel cold, it was sort of refreshing actually. As she walked around to the far side of the lodge grounds she almost laughed at what she could see ahead of her.

Glenn (as she had come to know him) was struggling up the path towards the staff area, juggling three watermelons in his arms.

She smirked and ran after him up the path.

"Hey, hey Glenn," she called catching up to him, "you need some help?"

Glenn turned around, one of the watermelons slipping from his grasp causing him to jump it back up with his knee.

"Carol what are you doing?" he hissed, "you know you shouldn't be around here."

"What's up there?" she asked looking up at the building he was heading towards.

"Nothing now go," Glenn persisted, his grip loosening on one of the melons.

She refrained from rolling her eyes at him, "come on let me help."

He sighed as she took the watermelon balanced on the top of the other two, "Carol go back to the playhouse. Come on I saw you getting cosy with Philip in there," he laughed, reenacting there earlier dance.

This time she did roll her eyes as she shoved the watermelon back in his arms, walking back down the path.

He immediately felt guilty and cursed himself for what he was about to do, "Oh Carol come on. I'm sorry."

She stopped and spun around to look at him again.

He sighed once more and raised an eyebrow at her, "can you keep a secret?"

She paced back towards him, taking the watermelon back off him.

"You're parents would kill you, Andrea would kill _me_ ," he spoke referring to his boss.

She said nothing back to that, just followed as he walked up the path steps.

When they got to the top she could here the music, loud and clear, nothing like what they played down at the playhouse or on the dance floor. This, this was something different entirely.

Glenn backed up bracing himself to shove the door open. He gave it a firm push once and both doors opened allowing the music to pour out into the night. Glenn slipped almost dropping the melons but caught himself just on time, offering her a weak smile.

Carol took in the scene in front of her, people dancing together in a way she'd never seen, she could see why this was something of a secret. She imagined the horrified looks of the snot nosed holiday guests as people gyrated against each other on the dance floor. She had no words for what she was watching, she almost felt like she was intruding by watching.

Glenn saw her expression and snorted, "you wanna try it?"

Very quickly she shook her head fiercely.

He let out a laugh, "come on Carol."

He lead her through the crowd, finding people were staring at her as much she was them. She couldn't blame them though, she definitely looked out of place in her knee length baby blue dress with a thick cardigan wrapped around her, not a scrap of makeup on her face.

As they got to the other side of the dance floor they set the watermelons down, Carol's eyes going back to the crowd of people.

Glenn went to say something but was stopped when someone burst through the door and everyone starting shouting and laughing.

Carol went up on her tiptoes to see who had entered and her breath hitched a little, she had yet to see the guy coming in before but she wouldn't mind seeing a whole lot more. She noticed the female behind him and made the easy assumption that they were together, they sure looked like it anyway.

They took to the middle of the dance floor, the man taking a large swig of drink off someone else first and then spun the woman around her leg hitching up again his hip as he did. Their hips rolled together as they danced, their bodies flinging around in this fluid motion that Carol had never seen before.

Glenn looked to where her eyes were watching and spoke up, "that's Daryl Dixon, good friend of mine, helped me get the job here."

They went back to silence for a moment and continued to watch them dance, part of her wished it was her dancing against him like that but she quickly pushed the thought away.

She went for the safer option of complimenting them rather than getting bitter about it, "they look great together."

Glenn nodded in agreement, "you'd think they were a couple wouldn't you?"

Carol looked up at him, her eyes wide and round, "aren't they?"

"Nah, Rosita bats for the other side if you get what I mean," Glenn said, "not that Daryl's ever shown an interest anyway, they've been friends for quite a while now. Rosita goes out with my cousin Tara."

Carol looked up between the two as the next song started to play and they changed their dancing to match the rhythm of the song.

Daryl broke away from her, dancing his way through the crowd coming closer and closer to where Glenn and her were stood.

He spotted Glenn and skidded up behind him making Glenn jump and turn around.

"Hey Glenn," he spoke looking straight at Carol, "what's she doin' here?"

"She came with me," Glenn said as a way of response smiling up at Daryl who looked less than amused.

"I carried a watermelon," Carol said quietly, inwardly cursing herself at that moment.

Daryl raised his eyebrows giving Glenn a look before walking off back into the crowd.

Glenn gave her a sympathetic look as she frowned looking down, " _I carried a watermelon_?" she hissed quietly to herself.

She shrugged off her cardigan embarrassment heating her up plenty and dared another look at Daryl as he danced with Rosita.

This time he caught her though and swaggered over to her stopping a few feet in front of her before pointing up a finger, ushering her to him.

She looked at him nervously taking a few steps forward as he grasped her hand in his. The heat off him radiated through her, everything about him made her question her morals.

He got her in front of him and made her mimic his position, knees bent slightly, hips arched forward. He rolled his hips back and forth, keeping his distance looking at her to do the same. She did so, her hips feeling awkward and stiff at this new movement. She looked around at the others around her, seeing if there was another way to do this.

He called her back to him pointing at his face, "just watch me, watch my eyes," he said softly.

He tried to hide the smile on his face, "good, you're doin' good."

He shuffled forward filling the space between them, their hips now pressed flush against each other.

"Alright now try this," he said after a few moments pulling back a little, "roll this way."

He rotated his hips in the opposite direction and she followed.

"Now watch," he spoke as he began alternating the two hip rolls.

She followed his lead, her heart beating a hundred times a minute, her voice stuck in her throat.

When he felt she'd got the hang of it, his hands hesitated on the material around her waist. He opted for a more forward approach one hand going to the small of her back as he rolled his hips, moving towards her as he did until they were flush against each other.

All Carol could feel was fire, this feeling was new to her but she knew she didn't want it to stop by any means.

Once she felt him against her her hips didn't want to cooperate, doing more of a thrusting motion rather than rolling. Daryl felt this and pulled her back just a fraction.

"Look," he said rolling his hips for her, making her watch and copy him as he edged back into her.

He gave her a dark pouting smirk as he knew she could feel herself getting the hang of it. He used his free hand and wrapped her arm around the back of his neck and the briefly let her go to make the other arm do the same.

Then he took control making they're bodies sway against each other. He held her eye contact the whole time until her made her drape back, swinging her around until she came back up to face him. He pushed her further in between his legs, his hips gyrating against her.

Blood was rushing everywhere he touched her leaving an endless rush of heat. Her hand went to the back of his thigh for support, until he made her wrap her arms around his neck again at the end of the song, spinning her around with such force she spun around twice before regaining her balance.

By the time she had finished turning he had disappeared into the crowd. leaving her stood on her own. Daryl Dixon had awoke something within her and she'd be damned if she was going to put it to rest.


	2. Baby

The air had more of a chill to it than the night before, it caused Carol to wrap her cardigan around her as tight as possible.

"You okay?" Philip asked watching her as she stiffly leant against the dock railings.

"Hm yeah," she answered. The last thing she wanted was to be out here with him but her parents had insisted, already making their feelings clear that he would be a fine young gentleman for herself. She cringed at the thought, nothing about him was attractive to her, he was self-absorbed, quick tempered and just plain boring.

They continued strolling by the waterfront and Philip reached out to take her hand. Immediately she retracted, she was not going to be giving out any mixed signals on this one.

"You don't have to be afraid you know," he said looking at her completely misinterpreting her movement, "can you imagine how happy your parents would be if we got together, how proud they'd be."

Carol's jaw clenched slightly, she was started to become sick of being this good girl who did everything that was asked of her.

"You hungry?" he asked when he realized he wasn't going to get a response out of her.

"Not really," she said continuing along the docks back towards the main hall.

"You know I like you Carol, I think these next few weeks are going to be great," he stated as more as a fact rather than an opinion, it made her feel uneasy.

As her eyes went up to sky she saw a trail of smoke that made her frown, her gaze followed it down and her eyes fell on Daryl and Glenn, their faces full of panic as tried to get into the smashed car.

Carol felt her stomach tighten, she didn't have time to make nice talk with Philip anymore, "you know what I'm really tired. I'm just going to go say goodnight to my parents and go back up to the lodge."

Philip's eyes narrowed at her but he seemed to buy it, "alright, well goodnight Carol," he said bring her hand up to his mouth.

She flashed a quick smile at him before pulling away, heading straight to the main hall.

She ran across to her dad arm telling him to get his medical bag and come to the bottom of the grounds, there had been a car crash.

She waited outside the main hall until he ran back down and they both ran down the hill together to where a car was now curled around a tree.

Daryl was the first to see her and shot her a scowl, he didn't have time for this kid.

He tone changed when he saw who was behind her, holding a medical kit.

"Doc," Daryl began walking towards him, "you gotta help them, they lost control of the steering, we were driving right behind them, she completely steered off, we only had one drink I swear."

His breathing was a bit frantic as he looked to Rosita who was unconscious in the driver's seat, a trickle of blood running down her head. Tara was in the seat next to her, now coming round to consciousness, tears falling from her eyes.

"Help me get this door open," Carol's dad said abruptly, yanking at the crushed door handle.

Glenn came around and helped managing to wedge it off its hinges.

Carol stayed back, her breathing hitched as she took in the scene before her, she was terrified and felt helpless.

Carol's father first check Rosita's airways making sure they were clear before getting to work.

"Make yourself useful, call an ambulance," Carol's dad said shoving a phone in Daryl's hand.

Daryl nodded, biting a hangnail as he dialled, his eyes never leaving the two girls in the car, the two girls he felt he was responsible for.

The rest of the night dragged on, so long in fact that by the time Carol got home the sun was beginning to rise again.

"Those people your friends?" Carol's dad asked, the first word he'd spoke to her in hours.

Carol curled her hair around her finger, "I don't know, I suppose so."

"I don't want you hanging out with them, okay?" he said sternly.

Carol nodded obediently in response knowing full well that this would be the first time she lied to her father.

"You know who I'd rather you spent more time with?" Carol's father said.

Carol rolled her eyes, here we go.

"That Philip boy, seems like a strapping young man, would take good care of you," he went on.

She wanted to stop him but honestly she was too exhausted to argue the matter. Instead she promised to make arrangements to see Philip soon.

She collapsed back in her bed and sighed, she felt so useless all evening, she just stood there, not even being able to provide comfort to anyone, not knowing them well enough. Daryl had completely brushed her off after the other night, she had already heard things about him after her few days being here. She knew he got around with ladies quite a bit, she had heard it from Philip when he pointed him out to her earlier that night as he was giving a dance lesson. She had heard Glenn mention it briefly after the night they danced together. She knew it was best to keep her distance and he had made it clear that he didn't really care much for her being around but she was going to push this one. She was fed up of people looking at her like she was a child, treating her like she was a baby.


	3. She can't do it, she can't

It was a couple of days until she saw him again, she had heard Rosita had come out of hospital and her dad had gone to check on her, make sure she was bandaged up properly. Carol had been allowed to go down, just to help her dad redo the bandages but he'd made it clear she was to have nothing to do with them after that.

She complied, verbally anyway, she wasn't being told what to do anymore though. She saw the way Daryl had looked at her, like she was just an annoying kid and nothing more, she wasn't and she made it her goal to make him see that.

They went down there, explaining themselves to Rosita about how they were at the scene of the car crash. Rosita's face lit up as she remembered, telling them that Daryl had told her about the man who came to help her. Nothing was mentioned about Carol, of course, why would she when she didn't help save anyone.

"I'd say you're gonna need about six weeks rest," her dad said, standing up as his packed away his bag.

"But my job-" Rosita began.

"No buts," Carols dad interrupted, "you need to rest or you will be out of a job."

She sighed heavily but nodded in understanding, "thanks a lot doc."

"Take care," he said as he ushered Carol out of the door.

They walked in silence up the hill for a few minutes before her dad cursed and began going through his bag.

"Could you run back down and drop these off to the girl? She'll be needing them in a few hours," he said passing her a box of painkillers.

"Sure thing," Carol said taking the box from him.

"I'm going back up to lodge, but you run along to the playhouse after, I'm sure they've got lots going on there."

Carol hummed a sort response, "okay see you later."

She paced back down the hill towards Rosita's dorm, when she got down there though she stopped, seeing Daryl walk in with Glenn.

She hesitated going down there or just coming back later. She shook her head and swallowed the fear in throat, she wanted to stop being treated like a kid she had to stop acting like one.

She got to the door, her breath held as she raised her fist to knock.

She almost fell forwards as the door opened the same time she went to knock, her fist making contact with someone's chest.

"Watch it," Daryl grumbled jumping back at her contact.

"I- I'm sorry," she stuttered, looking up at him with big eyes.

"Yeah," Daryl brushed off, "why you here, don't have a date with Philip?"

Why was he being so off with her?

"No," she said a little irate, "I came to give these to Rosita."

She held up the box up and slid past him before he could say anything else.

He paced back into the room behind her, watching her as she went over to Rosita.

"Sorry my dad forgot to give you these," Carol said setting the painkillers on the side, "take two every four hours okay?"

Rosita gave her a weak smile, "thanks, hey I didn't catch your name?"

"Oh, um, it's Carol," she said tucking a lock of hair behind her ear.

Rosita smiled and nodded, "he mean what he said? About me being off for six weeks? Cause I really can't afford to do that."

"Yeah I'm afraid so," Carol said, "will you not get sick pay from here?"

"Yeah but I have a job with Daryl in two weeks time, it gets us our seasons bookings for the year, it's our one chance to promote the dance lessons and get our cash secured."

"Can no one else do it?" Carol questioned.

"No genius no one else can do it, we've all got jobs, everyone's got jobs," Daryl grumbled at her.

"I'm sorry," she said quietly standing up, "I would help if I could."

Glenn who was across the room had a small smile on his face when he spoke, "Carol could do it."

"What?" Daryl asked glaring his way.

Carol went to speak but Glenn spoke up again, "come on Daryl you said she could move, teach her the routine, it's one night."

"Woah woah wait, I can't even do the merengue," Carol interjected.

"See she can't even do the merengue, she can't do it," Daryl argued.

"Come on Daryl, you're the best teacher I know, you could do it two weeks easy," Rosita spoke up.

"No, she can't do it, she can't" Daryl said again.

"Just a trail run?" Glenn asked.

"No I'm tellin' you now the girl can't do it," Daryl grunted.

Carol noticed how little faith he had in her, it made her want to do it all the more.

"I'll do it," she said smirking at Daryl who was now deeply frowning…god he was going to have his work cut out for him.


	4. You have to feel the music

They started practicing the next day, he had told her to come up to one of the old studios at the top of the resort. She felt her palms sweat as she made her way there, Daryl petrified her, in good ways and bad. He could be so dismissive, if that was how he was going to be while teaching her then this was going to be a long two weeks.

She hadn't known what to wear either, going for simple pumps with crop jeans and a loose low cut white top.

She hoped Daryl was in a better mood from yesterday, but she hadn't high hopes, but if the dancing was anything like it was the staff party then he wouldn't hear her complaining.

She walked into the studio and saw Daryl, wearing a loose, mostly unbuttoned, white shirt and a pair of very well fitting black trousers, damn he was hot.

She coughed a little to make her presence known since he was just going to carry on about his business pretending she wasn't there.

"Oh hey, um, Carol right?" he asked putting a CD into the player.

"Yeah," she responded quietly.

"So I take it you've got no dancing experience at all?" he said presumptuously, not so much as a question.

"Um, well no, no not really," she said looking down at her feet, god this was a terrible idea.

"Alright, let's start with the basics then," he sighed.

He showed her the routine a couple times, with and without the music so that she got the basic idea.

Then he got her up and into position, structuring her arms to fit to his.

She could feel the flexing muscles beneath her fingertips as he continued to speak to her, his voice very quickly becoming white noise.

"Right you got it?" he asked.

"Yeah sure," she responded quietly as he leant down to press play.

Her heart was fluttering as the music started up.

 _Control Carol, you've got this._

She took a step forward and immediately stood on his foot earning a despairing sigh from him.

"Not on the one one the two," he muttered restarting the song.

The next time she got that right but then forgot to repeat and stood on his foot again.

"No!" Daryl whined.

"Oh sorry," Carol said nervously, scratching the back of her neck.

Daryl ran a hand over his face a scoffed, "you don't step on the one, you gotta start on the two. Find the two, you understand?"

Carol nodded and let out deep breath of nervousness, re-positioning her arms as she waited for him to come back over.

"I told you I never did any of these dances before," she murmured, looking down at herself.

"Now it's one two three four, one two three four," Daryl ignored her placing himself back into position.

"When the music starts don't start till the two got it?" Daryl asked looking at her, his features softening a little.

"Yes," she replied trying to slow down her heartbeat.

As the music started up Daryl grabbed her hands and making her arms go slack, "relax, relax," he said soothingly.

"Breath," he said as he lifted her arms upwards and into position.

Even though they were arms length apart it didn't stop the chills that ran across her body from his proximity. Looking up into his eyes that weren't as stone cold as they were before started to melt her fraying nerves. As she went to take a step Daryl shook his head a little.

"No," he said waiting for that second beat.

This time she got it and managed a whole six steps without standing on his foot again.

Over the next few days she was there everyday, Daryl slowly teaching her more and more of the routine.

He worked on her stance with her making her repeat the same forwards and backwards movements until he felt she'd got it right, making constant adjustments to her composure.

"Don't lean back, lifting up, shoulders down," he chanted in time with the music, his hands grasping around her middle to position her in the right way. Although he may of been abrupt and obnoxious a lot of the time his touch made Carol feel sparks of electricity every time he came into contact with her, making her forget how frustrating he was.

"Come on again, concentrate," he said as she pushed his hands away, her muscles aching from the hours of dancing.

She practiced when she was alone too, which was a lot of the time, she just wanted him to be impressed with her, she that she wasn't a lost cause. This dancing was a lot harder than the dancing she'd done at the staff party though and it was annoying to high hell.

Still he always had criticism for when she came back the next day.

"Don't put your heel down," he grunted as he circled her making her do it again.

" _Don't_ put your heel down," he said a bit louder raising his eyebrows at her.

"I didn't-," she started.

"Stay on the toe," he interrupted looking back up at her.

"Just listen to me," he offered, "the steps aren't enough, you have to feel the music."

Slowly but surely in those few days she got better, Daryl became more and more tolerable of her.

"This isn't the mambo, it's not on the one, it's a feeling, like a heartbeat," Daryl explained one afternoon.

He put his hand against his own chest and mimicked the rhythm with his own hand, gently tapping his chest. Carol did the same, patting it loud enough to make the sound against her chest.

"Don't try so hard, close your eyes," Daryl murmured taking her hand in his own, placing it against his chest. He kept the rhythm of his fingers patting against hers. She could feel the steady beat of his heart against her palm through the fabric of his shirt. He started the music up and she started the steps, moving her feet in time with his heartbeat. A strange feeling started to swell in her chest as her eyes fluttered open and met his with a smile.

The next morning he went over a list of rules for her to remember for when she was dancing, along with the other twenty million rules he'd already given her.

"I don't come into your dance space, you don't come into my dance space," he said pacing up and down the studio as Carol sat on the floor looking up at him.

"Lock your frame, no more spaghetti arms, keep your eyes on me, don't let 'em wander," he listed on, ranting after she'd got it wrong so many times that day, "you need a tight grip, no more of this half assed holding hands like we're in fifth grade shit, got it?"

She just nodded, getting back up onto her feet for another round.

Every time she went to see him she noticed her rehearsal outfits were becoming less and less, she'd make the argument that she was too hot and it was better practicing that way but when she began to put on makeup, that was something she couldn't argue. She was trying to impress him, trying to show him that despite her nickname she was a woman.

It was on one of the days close to the show that she had turned up in nothing more than a crop top and form fitting shorts that seemed to catch Daryl's attention.

He gave her a discreet once over before standing up, stretching out his muscles.

"Like that today is it?" he asked raising a brow at her.

"It's hot," she retorted simply.

"Damn right it is," he said lifting off his own shirt to display his perfectly chiseled tanned torso.

Carol's throat went tight, this was going to be a long session.

The things she had to endure was enough to drive any woman crazy, he decided to go over the most hands on part of the routine. His hands started from her hips travelling up her sides until he reached her rib cage. Then he made her do the very start of the song, where he ran his fingertips from the inside of her arm right the way down to her hip where her hand was. The sensation was so feather light that Carol couldn't help but laugh.

Daryl sighed and rubbed his temples, "are you laughing?"

"I'm sorry I'm sorry," she said regaining her composure.

He started again, his fingers reaching her waist before she let out another snigger.

"Dammit woman," he sighed shaking his head, "focus."

"Alright alright," she said taking a deep breath.

This time he applied just a bit more pressure stopping her awful urge to laugh.

"Good, again," he said, this time taking it slower, his lip grazing her ear causing and involuntary shiver down her spine that Daryl seemed able to ignore.

This was a form of torture surely? She felt like she was about to spontaneously combust just from the way he was touching her. Her mind kept wandering to other ways she wanted him to touch her but she blinked hard pushing it away. He still didn't see her any different than he did before and she wasn't sure what she could do to change that.


End file.
